As far as I know, the homogeneity at SVS-like schools is not so much =
racial or socioeconomic, but simply that the student body is =
self-selected for the school's philosophy. The biggest problem with =
inner-city public schools is that they are quite literally prisons for =
children. One constantly hears rhetoric about "keeping kids off the =
streets", which blatantly assumes that those kids would be criminal if =
not forcibly incarcerated in government schools. Inner-city kids who go =
to parochial or subsidized secular private schools show a much lower =
delinquency rate.

Hi guys, I've been discussing SVS with some people and they claim that
the reason SVS works so well is that 1) the students are mostly from the
same culture, race and societal class, and 2) because SVS is in landly
environment, away from the temptaions of the city. Unfortunately I do
not have data to refute/confirm this. Therefore I ask if you can help
me out on these questions. E.g. does SVS or any of its sister schools
not fit into the above description?